Mayors of Moldova voice support for local public administration reform

Around 400 mayors today gathered at the event, Strong Mayoralties, Developed Settlements, organized on the Great National Assembly Square (PMAN). The local elected officials present at the event expressed their support for the local public administration reform initiated by the authorities, emphasizing that it will contribute to the development of communities, attracting investments and ensuring higher-quality services for citizens.

Attending the event, the mayor of Ungheni city, Vitalie Vrabie, said that the local public administration reform was necessary and Moldova must follow this path.

“I came to the event because I care; I am deeply interested in the reform we have been discussing for more years and which only this year has begun to take on a clearer and more determined shape. We do not have the perfect solution, but I believe in this reform and I believe that Moldova must move forward on this path. Any major reform comes with emotions, with risks, and with things that may not turn out perfectly from the start, but we must stand together in this transformation. The good, useful and necessary part of this reform is much greater than the fears we have today. I do not think we should wait for perfect conditions to start, because sometimes, if we wait for the ideal moment, we risk never starting at all. We must have the courage to move forward, to correct along the way what needs to be corrected, to adjust where necessary, but not to stand still,” the mayor said.

Vitalie Vrabie gave the example of the Ungheni city, which, together with nine other mayoralties, representing a total of 21 localities, chose to join forces in a single cluster.

“For me and my fellow mayors, things have become increasingly clear. We understood that the good public services we have developed for the municipality must reach every community around us: drinking water, sewerage, waste collection and disposal, modern public transport, access to good high schools, kindergartens and schools, culture, sports, mobility, access to quality administrative and social services. People from villages must be able to access all of this easily and naturally, and we understand that such infrastructure can no longer be developed in small and weakened mayoralties. Quality services cost money and many of them must be supported by greater, stronger and better-organized financial, administrative and institutional capacity. That is precisely why I believe that this consolidation is necessary for our future,” said Vitalie Vrabie.

The mayor added that the reform is not easy, but it is necessary, and the opportunity that is being offered should not be missed.

“We can no longer afford to remain so fragmented. It is time to have the maturity and wisdom to understand that today, perhaps more than ever, Moldova is offered genuine support and expertise on behalf of European partners to carry out this transformation. It would be a great pity to miss this opportunity. We all clearly see how much European funds have changed our localities in recent years. We also know just as well that the future of development will depend more and more on our administrative capacity and our eligibility for such resources. And I believe one more important thing. This reform is not an easy one. Maybe it has been postponed for too many years. Undoubtedly, it is a courageous, complex and committed reform,” the official noted.

At the same time, Vitalie Vrabie stressed that the reform was not about mayors, positions or administrative borders, but about people, about the chance for our communities to live better, about the ability of Moldova to become a stronger, more efficient and more European state.

For his part, Vladimir Cucereavîi, the mayor of the village of Taraclia, Causeni district, said at the event that services provided to citizens can be qualitative only when more localities unite.

“I have been a mayor for 15 years. I have witnessed various reforms and I have always been in favor of providing and allowing our citizens a higher quality life, with good services. This is what we are fighting for. It is not easy this time either, but what is certain is that when more localities unite, then there will be quality,” emphasized Vladimir Cucereavîi.

Also, Rodica Rusu, the mayor of the Telița village, Anenii Noi district, said that the reform initiated by the authorities represented a real opportunity for the country’s localities to develop stronger communities, better able to provide quality services and better conditions for people.

“We are at the starting point of a long-awaited, well-thought-out and timely reform. I speak from the experience of a mayor in her third term, who knows very well the reality and the challenges of a small village. I know what it means to fight every day for development, for better services and for keeping people at home. We want to continue developing communities with new ideas and new perspectives. That is why, the reform represents a real opportunity for our communities, a chance to build things the way we, at the local level, see them: progressive, strategic and sustainable. A chance to develop stronger communities, better able to provide quality services and better conditions for people,” said Rodica Rusu.

She also sent a message to mayors across the country: “Let us, with maximum responsibility and vision, implement this reform so that, as residents of our communities, we can feel good. We will not be mayors forever. And that is why we must think like ordinary citizens. What is important for us is to move things forward in a responsible and accountable manner,” specified Rodica Rusu.

The event, Strong Mayoralties – Developed Settlements, today brought together on the Great National Assembly Square over 400 mayors from localities that have initiated the voluntary amalgamation process, district heads, members of professional organizations and external partners. The meeting was attended by President Maia Sandu, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu and the acting Prime Minister of Romania Ilie Bolojan, on a visit to Chisinau.

The event is dedicated to the reform of local public administration and the strengthening of administrative capacities. Discussions focused on how the authorities plan to build strong mayoralties, capable of attracting external funds, implementing major projects and providing good services to people.

In late last January, the government officially announced the launch of the preparatory process for the local public administration reform, as part of efforts to modernize the administration and improve the quality of public services provided to the population. Subsequently, broad consultations on the reform were held with all interested sides, after which the government presented the reform concept.

So far, 663 decisions have been approved to initiate the amalgamation process, covering 767 mayoralties, which accounts for about 86 per cent of all mayoralties of Moldova.